http://dew-dropink.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] dew-dropink.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] davis_square2007-09-03 10:34 am
Entry tags:

Hiking

Good morning,

I was curious if anyone has some good Hiking spot recommendations?

I'm hoping to find some that are semi-T accessible, meaning no farther than a 15 or 20 min walk from a T stop.

Somerville/Cambridge areas would be preferred.
Thanks so much, enjoy the day - Laura

[identity profile] joifulgurl.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
the Fells in Medford are really really nice. while it's not close to a T stop, you can get relatively close to there by bus (although i forget the exact busline... sorry!).

[identity profile] in-parentheses.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't done it myself yet, but one side of the Fells is a 10-15 minute walk from Oak Grove on the Orange line. From Davis, take the 89 or 90 to Sullivan Square and ride the subway one stop.

[identity profile] treacle-well.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Oak Grove is more than 1 stop from Sullivan Square. Sullivan - Wellington - Malden - Oak Grove.

[identity profile] in-parentheses.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
True enough. Oops!

[identity profile] ellf.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Seconding the Fells.

As far as I know, there is not a "hiking" area within a 15 minute walk in Somerville or Cambridge from a T stop - 15 minutes on foot is about 3/4 of a mile from a stop, if you walk fast.

Alternatively, you could check out the Alewife Brook Reservation, which is close to the Alewife T station: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/alewife.htm

[identity profile] slinkr.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 03:07 pm (UTC)(link)
For hiking, the Fells are the best place to go without a car. On the other side of the river, if you take the Orange Line down to Forest Hills the Arnold Arboretum and Forest Hills Cemetery are great places to walk.

[identity profile] metagnat.livejournal.com 2007-09-04 11:33 am (UTC)(link)
I second the Arnold Arboretum - it's beautiful and educational, but they do have paved paths.

-E

[identity profile] dphilli1.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
you can get to the Lawrence Woods (behind Medford High School) part of the Middlesex Fells by either the 95 or 134 bus. The Fells proper are about 1mi through the woods on the other side of Border Road.

[identity profile] doogly.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I agree some more, the Fells are delightful. To get to the eastern piece you can take the 99, and for the western piece the 100. To get to the right stop for both of these it is probably easiest to go all the way to the end and then get off at the first stop in the other direction (in both cases). They are a bit of a ways out but well worth it.
For something closer, the Mt. Auburn Cemetery is beautiful. It's very gardeny and a great place to walk around, and only five minutes from Harvard Square along the 71 or 73.
I found these in http://www.amazon.com/Country-Walks-Near-Boston-Book/dp/0961496371/ref=sr_1_7/002-6652678-4815215?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188833859&sr=8-7
which I was given when I first came here. It is good about marking which are T accessible, which are about half the ones in there.

[identity profile] avacon.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Another vote for the Middlesex Fells.
You can get maps and more details at www.fells.org. (http://www.fells.org/)

Other options further away are Lynn Woods, Breakheart Reservation,
Walden Pond, and the Blue Hills Reservation.

[identity profile] syntheticnature.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't been there yet, but a friend of mine has recommended Habitat (http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Habitat/index.php) in Belmont as a nice place to walk.

"Over 2.5 miles of gentle trails wind through deciduous and evergreen forests, across meadows, around 2 ponds, and along a wetland containing a vernal pool....Habitat is a one-mile walk from Belmont Center, which is accessible by the MBTA Commuter Rail or MBTA Bus #74/75 from Harvard Square, Cambridge."

[identity profile] an-art-worker.livejournal.com 2007-09-04 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
Habitat is pretty nice. Not hiking-wise though; more like nature walk

[identity profile] pearlythebunny.livejournal.com 2007-09-03 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
The Fells is great. But don't forget the Blue Hills.
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/blue.htm, which is T accessible in places.

[personal profile] ron_newman 2007-09-04 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
Another option: take the #77 bus to the end of the line in Arlington Heights, then walk along the Minuteman bikeway until you reach the entrance to the Arlington Great Meadows. (Which are located in Lexington, despite their name.)

Or take the commuter rail from Porter Square to Lincoln station. A large network of trails starts right in the parking lot, leading to such places as Walden Pond and the DeCordova Museum.

[identity profile] hissilliness.livejournal.com 2007-09-04 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
More variations:

The walk around the Arlington reservoir is a nice short jaunt. Get off the 77 by Trader Joe's, go down the stairway to the bike path, then walk along the side of the baseball field and follow the path into the woods.

The Concord Center commuter rail stop is a fifteen or twenty minute walk from Walden Pond, or a five-minute bike ride.

[personal profile] ron_newman 2007-09-04 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
Fresh Pond Reservation in Cambridge.

You can walk there in about 25 minutes from Davis Square, passing through some other pleasant green spaces along the way. Here's a map of the walking route. (I'm not positive the zigzag is necessary when leaving Danehy Park; it's been a while since I last did this, and normally I'm on a bike.)

[personal profile] ron_newman 2007-09-04 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know how up to date this site is, but: Boston Hiking Guide (with MBTA info)